The Universalist's book of reference...

Front matter

THE

UNIVERSALIST'S

BOOK OF REFERENCE.

Preface

the facts and arguments upon which our opinions are based. If we hold any opinions which are erroneous, we shall feel under peculiar obligations to the man who will point them out and prove them to be false. We hold ourselves in readiness to examine whatever may be said in opposition to our views, and will either acknowledge ourselves mistaken, or stand up in their defence.

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.V

Preface To The Second Edition

The first edition of the Book of Reference was issued in 1844, and met with a ready sale. The edition was exhausted about five years since, and, as the work was not stereotyped, the original publishers did not feel disposed to run the risk of issuing another. The call for the work for the few years past, from all parts of the country, has been constant and urgent ; and, with the belief that in its revised and improved form it is calculated to do great good, it is new offered to the public.

Boston, September, 1853.

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Chapter I. — Bible Doctrine of Hell

Section I, — All the passages in the Old Testament in which the original word Sheol occurs, and is rendered Hell in the common English version 13

Section II. — All the passages in the Old Testament where the Hebrew word Sheol occurs, and is rendered Grave i»»the common English version 15

Section III. — All the passages in the Old .Testament wherein the Hebrew word Sheol occurs, and is rendered Pit in the common English version 16

Section IV. — All the passages in the New Testament where the Greek word Hades occurs, and is rendered Hell and Grave in the common English version 16

Section V. — All the passages in the New Testament wherein the word Gehenna occurs, in all of which it is rendered Hell in the common English version 17

Section VI. — The only passage in the Bible wherein allusion is made

to Tartarus, rendered Hell in the common English version 18

Section VII. — Statement of facts, showing that tbe Scripture writers did not use the words Sheol, Hades, Tartarus, and Gehenna, to signify a place of endless misery 18

Section IV. — All the passages in the Bible in which the terms Satan and Devil are used to signify the same thing 50

Section V. — All the passages in tbe New Testament where the Greek word Diabolos occurs, in whatever way rendered in the common English version 51

Section VI. — Statement of facts, showing that the terms Shaitan, Satan, Devils, and Diabolos, were not used by the Scripture writers to signify a Fallen Angel, or personal being called the Devil 52

Chapter IV. — Bible Doctrine of Rewards and Punishments. Section I. — Promises to the obedient 75

Section II. — Threatenings to the disobedient .79

Section III. — Instances of Divine punishment inflicted in this life. ... 81 Section IV. — Remarks on Rewards and Punishments 84

Chapter V. — On the Scripture usage and meaning of the words Eternity, Endless, Eternal, Everlasting, Never, Forever, and Forever and Ever.

Section I. — Facts stated in relation to the Scripture usage" of these

words 107

Section II. — Passages from the Bible in which these words are evidently

used in a limited sense. Ill

Section II. — Passages from the New Testament which speak of judgment . 180

Section III. — On the Greek terms Krino, Krisis, Krima, their different forms, &c, rendered judge, judgment, condemned, condemnation, damned, damnation, &c, in the New Testament . . . 181

Section IV. — Statement of facts in relation to the Bible doctrine of judgment, and an examination of those passages of Scripture which by some are supposed to teach the doctrine of a future general judgment 182

Chapter VII. — On the Second Coming of Christ

Section I. — All the passages in the New Testament which speak of the

second coming of Christ 204

Section II. — Those passages which are supposed to refer to Christ's final

coming, at the resurrection of the dead 209

Chapter IX. — On the Scripture usage and meaning of the phrase End of the World

Section I. — All the passages in the Bible, wherein this phrase occurs. . .228 Section II. — Remarks on the phrase End of the World 229

CONTENTS.

Chapter X. — On the Scripture usage of the word Fire, and the phrases Everlasting, Eternal, and Unquenchable Fire.

Section I. — Those passages where the word Fire, and these phrases occur. 238 Section II. — Brief remarks on the Scripture usage of the word Tire, and

these phrases • 241

Chapter XL — On the Worm that dieth not.

Section I. — All the passages in tin Bible where the expression, Their

worm dieth not, may be found 248

Section II. — Brief remarks on the Worm that dieth not 248

Chapter XII. — Scripture usage of the phrase Furnace of Fire. Section I. — Those passages where the word Furnace and the phrase Furnace of Fire occur 251

Section II. — Bemarks on the Furnace of Fire 252

Chapter XIII. — On the Scripture usage of the phrases Lake of Fire, Lake of Fire and Brimstone, and Second Death.

Section I. — All the passages in the Bible where these phrases occur. . . 255 Section II. — Bemarks on these phrases 256

Chapter XIV. — On the phrases, Stand before the Lord, Stand before God, Appear before God, and Presence of the Lord.

Section I. — Passages wherein these phrases occur 258

Section II. — Bemarks on the Scripture usage and meaning of the

phrases 260

Chapter XV. — On the phrases Kingdom of God, Kingdom of heaven, A Kingdom, The Kingdom, 8fc.

Section I. — All the passages in the Bible wherein the phrase Kingdom

of God occurs 265

Section II. — All the passages in the Bible wherein the phrase Kingdom

of Heaven occurs 268

Section III. — Those passages in the Bible wherein the phrases The Kingdom, A Kingdom, Everlasting Kingdom, &c, occur 270

Section III. — Bemarks on the phrases Eternal and Everlasting Life. . . 279

Chapter XVII. — Bible Doctrine of Salvation and Damnation.

Section I. — All the passages in the New Testament wherein the words Save, Saved, and Salvation occur, and which have reference to Gospel salvation 282

Section II. — Those passages in the New Testament where the words

Damnation, Damned, Condemnation, Condemned, &c, occur. . . . 286

Section III. — Bemarks on the Bible doctrine of salvation and damnation. 288

Chapter XVHI. — On the case of Judas.

Section II. — Closing remarks, and a statement of facts concerning Judas 298

CONTENTS.

Chapter XIX. — On the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost.

Section I. — All the passages in the Bible where the blasphemy against

the Holy Ghost is alluded to 304

Section II. — Remarks on the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. . . . 304

Chapter XX. — A brief Statement of the principal Arguments in favor of TJniversalism ; also, Objections to those Arguments, and Replies to those Objections 308

Chapter XXI. — Objections to the Doctrine of Endless Misery 343

Chapter XXII. — On the Authority of the Apostolic and Christian Fathers. . .353

Chapter XXIII. — The Articles of Faith, Plan of Church Government, and Statistics of the Denomination of Univtrsalists in the United States and British Provinces 362

Chapter I. Bible Doctrine Of Hell

SECTION I.

Ml the passages in the Old Testament wherein the Hebrew word Sheoi occurs, and is rendered Hell in the common English Version.

Deut. 32 : 22. For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.

Verse 23. I will heap mischief upon them; I will spend mine arrows upon them.

Verse 24. They shall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction : I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them, with poison of serpents of the dust.

Verse 25. The sword without, and terror within, shall destroy both the young man and the virgin, the suckling also with the man of gray hairs.

2 Sam. 22 : 6. The sorrows of hell compassed me about ; the snares of death prevented me.

Verse 7. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried to my God.

Job 11 : 8. Verse 7. Canst thou by searching find out God ? canst thou find out the Almighty to perfection ?

Verse 8. It is as high as heaven ; what canst thou do ? deeper than hell ; what canst thou know ?

Job 26 : 6. Hell is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering.

Psalm 9:17. The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.

Psalm 16 : 10. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell ; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

Psalm 18 : 5. The sorrows of hell compassed me about ; the snares of death prevented me.

Verse 6. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God.

Psalm 55 15. Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell

BIBLE DOCTRINE OF HELL.

Psalm 86 : 13. Verse 12. I mil praise thee, 0 Lord my God, with all my heart ; and I will glorify thy name forevermore.

Verse 13. For great is thy mercy toward me ; and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.

Psalm 116 : 3. The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me ; I found trouble and sorrow.

Psalm 139 : 8. Verse 7. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit ? or whither shall I flee from thy presence ?

Verse 8. If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there : if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

Prov. 5 : 5. Her feet go down to. death, her steps take hold on hell.

Prov. 7 : 27. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.

Prov. 9 : 18. But he knoweth not that the dead are there ; and that her guests are in the depths of hell.

Prov. 15 : 11. Hell and destruction are before the Lord ; how much more then the hearts of the children of men ?

Verse 24. The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath.

Prov. 23 : 14. Verse 13. Withhold not correction from the child : for if thou beatest him with the rod he shall not die.

Verse 14. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.

Prov. 27 : 20. Hell and destruction are never full ; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.

Isaiah 5 : 14. Verse 13. Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge ; and their honorable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.

Verse 14. Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure ; and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.

Isa. 14 : 9. Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming : it stirreth up the dead for thee

Verse 10. Ml they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we ? art thou become like unto us ?

Verse 11. Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols : the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.

Isa 14 : 15. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

Isa. 28 : 15. Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement ; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us ; for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves.

Verse 18. And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand ; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.

Isa. 57 : 9. And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase thyself even unto hell.

Ezek. 31 : 16, 17. I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to hell with them that descend into the pit : ... . They also went down into hell with him, unto them that be slain with the Bword. .......

Ezek. 32 : 21, 27. The strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of hell with them that help him : they are gone down, they lie uncircumcised, slain by the sword .... And they shall not lie with

BIBLE DOCTRINE OF HELL.

the mighty that are fallen of the un circumcised, -which are gone down to hell with their weapons of war ; and they have laid their swords under their heads ; but their iniquities shall be upon their bones, though they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living.

Verse 28. Yea, thou shalt be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised, and shalt lie with them that are slain with the sword.

Amos 9 : 2. Though they dig into hell, thence shall my hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down.

Jonah 2 : 2. Verse 1. Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish's belly ;

Verse 2. And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord 5 and he heard me ; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.

Hab. 2 : 5. Yea, also, because he transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied.

SECTION II.

Ml the places in the Old Testament where the Hebrew word Sheol occurs, and is rendered Grave in the common English Version.

Gen. 37 : 35. I (Jacob) will go down into the grave unto my son mourning.

Gen. 42 : 38. If mischief befiill him (Benjamin) by the way in which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

Gen, 44 : 31. And thy servants (Judah) shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave.

1 Sam. 2 : 6. The Lord killeth, and maketh alive : he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.

1 Kings 2:6. Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not bis hoar head go down to the grave in peace.

Verse 9. But his hoar head bring thou down to the grave with blood.

Job 7 : 9. As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away, so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more.

Job 14 : 13. 0 that thou wouldst hide me in the grave, that thou wouldst keep me secret until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldst appoint me a set time, and remember me.

Job 17 : 13. If I wait, the grave is my house ■ I have made my bed in the darkness.

Job 21 : 13. They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave.

Job 24 : 19. Drought and heat consume the snow-waters ; so doth the grave those which have sinned.

Psalm 6 : 5. For in death there is no remembrance of thee : in the grave who shall give thee thanks.

Psalm 30 : 3. 0 Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave : thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

Psalm 31 : 17. Let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave.

Psalm 49 : 14, 15. Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them ; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morn-

BIBLE DOCTRINE OF HELL.

ing ; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling. But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave ; for he shall receive me.

Psalm 88 : 3. For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draweth nigh unto the grave.

Psalm 89 : 48. What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death ? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave 1

Psalm 141 : 7. Our bones are scattered at the grave's mouth, as when one who cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth.

Prov. 1 : 12. Let us swallow them up alive, as the grave ; and whole, as those that go down into the pit.

Prov. 30 : 16. The grave ; and the barren womb ; the earth that is not filled with water ; and the fire, that saith not, It is enough.

Eccl. 9 : 10. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might ; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave whither thou goest.

Cant. 8 : 6. Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm : for love is strong as death : jealousy is cruel as the grave : the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.

Isaiah 14 : 11. Thy pomp is, brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols ; the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.

Isa. 38 : 10. I said, in the cutting off of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave : I am deprived of the residue of my years.

Verse 18. For the grave cannot praise thee ; death cannot celebrate thee ; they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.

Hosea 14 : 14. I will ransom them from the power of the grave ; I will redeem them from death : 0 death, I will be thy plagues ; 0 grave, I will be thy destruction : repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.

Section III

All the passages in the Old Testament wherein the word Sheol occurs, and is rendered Pit in the common English Version.

Num. 16 : 30. But if the Lord make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit, then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the Lord.

Num. 16 : 33. They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them : and they perished from among the congregation.

Job 17 : 16. They shall go down to the bars of the pit, when our rest together is in the dust.

Section IV

All the places in the New Testament where the Greek word Hades occurs, and is rendered Hell, and Grave, in the common English version.

Matthew 11 : 23. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, Bhalt be brought down to hell : for if the mighty works, which have been

BIBLE DOCTRINE 0! HELL.

done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.

Matt. 16 : 18. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter : and upon this rock I will build my church ; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Luke 10 : 15. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell.

Luke 16 : 23. And in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

Acts 2 : 27, 31. Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither

wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption He, seeing this

before, spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.

1 Cor. 15 : 55. 0 death, where is thy sting ? 0 grave, where is thy victory ?

Rev. 1:18. I am he that liveth, and was dead ; and, behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen ; and have the keys of hell and of death.

Rev. 6 : 8. And I looked, and behold, a pale horse ; and his name that sat on him was Death, and hell followed with him ; and power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

Rev. 20 : 13. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it ; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them : and they were judged every man according to their works.

Verse 14. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This ia the second death.

Section V

All the passages in the New Testament wherein the word Gehenna occurs, in all of which it is rendered Hell in the common English Version.

Matthew 5 : 22. But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment : and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council : but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell-fire.

Verse 29. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee : for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

Verse 30. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee : for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

Matt. 10 : 28. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul ; but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Matt. 18:9. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee : it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell-fire.

Matt. 23 : 15. Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites f for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte ; and when he is made, yo make him twofold mor& the child cf hdl than yourselves-. 2*

BI313 DOCTRINE OF HELL.

Verse 33. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers ! how can ye escape the damnation of hell ?

Mark 9 : 43. And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off : it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched.

Verse 45. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off : it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched.

Verse 47. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out : it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell-fire.

Luke 12 : 5. But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear : Fear him which, after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell ; yea, I say unto you, fear him.

James 3 : 6. And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity : so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature ; and it is set on fire of hell.

Section VI

The only passage in the Bible wherein allusion is made to Tabtaros, — rendered Hell in the common English Version.

2 Peter 2 : 4. For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment.

Section VII

Statement of facts, showing that the sacred writers did not use the words Sheol, Hades, Tartaros, and Gehenna, to signify a place of Endless Misery.

SHEOL. — This word occurs sixty-four times in the Bible, and is rendered thirty-two times hell, twenty-nine times grave, and three times pit. That it does not signify a place of endless misery is evident from the following facts.

1. The connection of those passages where it is rendered hell shows that no reference is had to a future state of existence. Therefore, there is no proof that this hell is in any other world than the one in which we live. The first time it is rendered hell, and of course the first time the word hell occurs in the Bible, is in Deut. 32 : 22. By examining the hell there spoken of, it will be seen that it was the " lowest hell" and that it was to " consume the

BIBLE DOCTRINE OF HELL.

mrth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains" Here fire is evidently used as a figure of punishment. The nature of this punishment may be learned from verse twenty-four. " They shall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction : I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them, with poiso'n of serpents of the dust." All this was of course to take place here on the earth. The next time it is rendered hell is in 2 Sam. 22 : 6, where David says, " The sorrows of hell compassed me about," &c. The nature of this hell may be learned from verse seven. " In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried to my God." Again, in Ps. 18: 5, David says, "The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me." Verse 6, " In my distress I called upon the Lord," &c. In Ezek. 32 : 27, hell plainly signifies the literal grave. "And they shall not lie with the mighty that are fallen of the uncircumcised, which are gone down to hell with their weapons of war ; and they have laid their swords under their heads.-'' If the reader will examine every passage where the word sheol occurs, and is rendered hell, with the connection in which they are found, he will see no reason for supposing this hell to be in another world.

2. Both David and Jonah are represented as being in hell, and David is not only represented as being in hell, but as being in the lowest hell ; and yet both of these individuals were alive, and on the earth. Jonah 2: 2, "Out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice." Certainly, Jonah could not cry out of the belly of hell unless he was in hell. By consulting verse one, it will be seen that this hell was the fish's belly. Ps. 116 : 3, " The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me." To learn the nature of this hell, see the next words. " I found trouble and sorrow." Ps. 86 : 12, 13, " I will praise thee, 0 Lord my God, with all my heart ; and I will glorify thy name forevermore. For great is thy mercy towards me ; and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell" We learn from this that it is not necessary to go into another world to find the lowest hell. Unless it can be shown that there is a hell lower tban the lowest, it is in vain to talk about any other hell than that which exists in this world* It is sometimes said that " from hell there is

BIBLE DOCTRINE OF HELL.

no redemption." But we here read of a man who was redeemed from the lowest hell.

3. God is represented as being in hell. Ps. 139 : 8, " If 1 make my bed in hell, behold, thou (God) art there." Hell here signifies the invisible state of the dead ; or perhaps the literal grave. The obvious meaning of the psalmist is, that death could not carry him beyond the reach of God's presence.

4. David and Jonah are not only represented as having been in hell and as having been delivered from it, but the soul of David is spoken of as having been delivered from hell. Ps. 30 : 3, " 0 Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave " (sheol). By soul, here, David evidently means himself, his own person ; and by sheol, the literal grave, or invisible state of the dead. See the next words : " Thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit: 1

5. God is represented as bringing men up from sheol. 1 Sam. 2:6," He (God) bringeth down to the grave (sheol), and bringeth up." By those who believe in a place of endless misery, called hell, in a future world, it is thought that when once a person gets to hell his doom is sealed forever, and that there is no prospect of his ever coming up. But, if sheol in the text just quoted means a place of endless misery, this opinion must be given up.

- 6. God is not only represented as bringing men up from sheol, but the Psalmist expresses satisfaction in the prospect of the redemption of his soul from sheol. Ps. 49 : 15, " But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave " (sheol). Now, if the word soul here means the immortal part of man, and the word sheol a place of misery after death, then it needs no proof that the Psalmist expected that the soul would go to this hell, and afterwards be delivered from it.